Something New
by Firelizard46
Summary: Daryl has always been searching for a way out from under his brother, and Rick has been searching for his family, though he knows it is over between him and his wife. What will happen when these two lost souls finally meet up? Will not follow the show fully. Slash
1. Chapter 1

_Daryl_

As Daryl slowly walks back to the camp of survivors from Atlanta, his mind wanders to his brother, Merle. Merle had gone with a group to Atlanta for supplies, and they are due back today. Daryl has been hunting since the group left, but he didn't get very much. Once Daryl walks out of the woods and into the camp, he starts looking for his brother, but he doesn't see Merle anywhere.

"Daryl, we need to talk to you," Shane says, following Daryl to his and Merle's camp site. Daryl quickly checks around and in their camp site, but he still cannot find Merle. "Daryl," Shane says again.

"Is he dead?" Daryl asks, setting his crossbow down.

"Hard to say," Shane says. Daryl turns to look at Shane, and that is when he sees the whole group watching, including a new guy Daryl doesn't recognize.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Daryl asks.

"Your brother is handcuffed to the roof of a building in Atlanta," the mystery man says, stepping towards Daryl.

"What? Who are ya anyways?" Daryl asks, stepping away from the man, which just makes the man step closer again.

"My names Rick Grimes, Lori's husband. Your brother was putting everyone in danger, so I handcuffed him to a piece of metal. When we went to leave, the key was lost, and your brother is still there," Rick says soothingly. Daryl doesn't know why, but he kind of likes how Rick talks soothingly to him, which makes Daryl all that much angrier.

"Ya left my brother in the middle of a Walker infested town, locked to the roof of a building?" Daryl yells, throwing his string of squirrels at Rick, who dodges. Daryl then lunges at Rick, trying to punch him, but Shane quickly shoves Daryl away. Daryl has never liked Shane, so having a reason to fight him doesn't help him not hurt Shane. Daryl quickly grabs his knife and lunges at Rick and Shane. Shane dodges Daryl and steps behind Daryl, putting Daryl in a choke hold.

"Drop the knife," Shane hisses in Daryl's ear. When Daryl starts to feel himself lose consciousness, he drops the knife, and Shane drops him. Daryl instantly starts coughing and gasping for air, but he suddenly hits the ground unconscious.

_Rick_

As Rick drives the truck to where the Atlanta group of survivors are, all he can think about is the man he handcuffed to the roof of a building and left behind. Rick is extremely happy to see his son again once they arrived at the camp. His wife is there too, but he and Lori have not been on good terms for some time now.

"Where is Merle?" Shane asks once all the greetings are done.

"Trapped in Atlanta," Andrea says.

"How?" Shane asks.

"I handcuffed him to the roof of a building to protect everyone from him. He was risking everyone's lives by being reckless," Rick says.

"I am going to hate to tell Daryl," Shane says. Rick is instantly confused, and Dale quickly explains.

"Merle is... was Daryl's brother," Dale says, looking worried.

"I'll tell him. I was the one that handcuffed him and left him," Rick says. A rustle in the forest line draws Rick's attention.

"Here comes Daryl," Shane says as Rick and he walked towards the forest line.

Rick is expecting a real rough looking redneck to walk out, but he is surprised at how Daryl really looks. Rick cannot help but admire Daryl's small but well-built bod and dark brown hair that falls into Daryl's bright blue eyes.

"Daryl, we need to talk to you," Shane says, which snaps Rick out of his thoughts. Rick slowly walks with Shane, following Daryl. "Daryl," Shane says again, which makes Daryl turn around after he sets his crossbow down.

"Is he dead?" Daryl asks, which makes Rick's heart squeeze because of the sadness in those bright blue eyes.

"Hard to say," Shane says. Daryl turns and looks at Shane and then at Rick, which makes Rick feel very self-conscious of how he looks. Daryl's eyes linger on Rick for a good bit of time.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Daryl asks.

"Your brother is handcuffed to the roof of a building in Atlanta," Rick said, stepping towards Daryl. Rick is dying to wrap his arms around Daryl and comfort the hurting man.

"What? Who the hell are ya anyways?" Daryl says, stepping away from Rick, which just makes Rick step closer again.

"My names Rick Grimes, Lori's husband. Your brother was putting everyone in danger, so I handcuffed him to a piece of metal. When we went to leave, the key was lost, and your brother is still there," Rick says, trying to calm Daryl down Rick can see that Daryl is getting extremely angry.

"Ya left my brother in the middle of a Walker infested town, locked to the roof of a building?" Daryl yells. Rick just barely dodges the string of squirrels Daryl throws at his head, but when Daryl lunges at him, he knows he won't be able to dodge him. Rick is thankful but mad at Shane for shoving Daryl to the ground. Rick goes into cop mode when he sees Daryl grab his knife and lunges at him and Shane. Rick stands ready to attack, but Shane dodges Daryl's lunge and locks Daryl in a choke hold. Rick is shocked and just freezes at seeing Daryl choked.

"Drop the knife," Rick hears Shane hiss in Daryl's ear. Rick lets out the breath he didn't know he was holding when Daryl drops the knife and Shane lets Daryl go. Rick feels worry shot through him when Daryl starts gasping and coughing. When Daryl drops to the ground, out cold, Rick drops down next to him and quickly and checks his pulse. "Damn Shane. Did you have to choke him that hard?" Rick asks when he sees the bruising forming on Daryl's neck.

"Is he ok?" Dale asks suddenly, which makes Rick jump.

"I think so. He just passed out from lack of oxygen, and he's going to have some bruises," Rick says, brushing Daryl's bangs from his face. "Looks like he's beginning to wake up."


	2. Chapter 2

_Daryl_

Daryl starts to wake up to the feeling of someone brushing his bangs from his face. Daryl's throat hurts really badly, and he wants to kill Shane for choking him, but he doesn't have the strength to. "Daryl?" Daryl hears the new guy, Rick, say. Daryl slowly opens his eyes to find Rick and Dale looking down at him.

"How do you feel?" Dale asks.

"I'm fine," Daryl says as he tries to sit up, but his arms are too weak to support him. Daryl would have fallen back down in the dirt of Rick hadn't grabbed him. Daryl and Rick's eyes lock, and Daryl is surprised to see worry and sadness in Rick's eyes.

"Dale, can you help me get him to the RV bedroom?" Rick asks without taking his eyes off Daryl.

"Like hell. I'm going to my tent... once I can move on my own," Daryl snaps, but Daryl suddenly feels extremely tired.

"Ok. We'll help you to your tent," Dale says, standing up. Daryl never likes people touching him, but he lets Rick and Dale help him to his tent. "I've got some broth I'll make for him," Dale says when Daryl's stomach growls. Daryl closes his eyes and waits to hear Rick leave, but when Rick doesn't, Daryl opens his eyes and looks at him. Daryl feels really self-conscious when he sees Rick staring at him.

"Ya can go now. I can take care of myself," Daryl whispers. Daryl whispers it because he doesn't want Rick to actually leave.

"I'm not going anywhere," Rick whispers suddenly, which makes Daryl turn his head to hide his blush. Daryl lies there, staring at the roof and watching Rick out of the corner of his eye. When Daryl's stomach growls again, Rick starts laughing, which makes Daryl smile.

"Ya've got a nice laugh," Daryl says before he can stop himself.

"You've got a nice smile," Rick says in return. Daryl feels embarrassed suddenly, which makes him mad. "I'm sorry about your brother. I plan on going back for him."

"Lori ok with that?" Daryl asks.

"She doesn't know yet, but even if she said no, I am still going," Rick says.

"Why?" Daryl asks, confused at the kindness in Rick's voice. Daryl smiles when he sees a blush appear on Rick's face.

_Rick_

Rick leans over Daryl as Daryl begins to stir. "Daryl?" Rick asks, brushing more hair out of Daryl's face. Rick sighs when he sees Daryl slowly opens his eyes.

"How do you feel?" Dale asks, which makes Rick mad because he obviously is not ok.

"I'm fine," Daryl says. Rick can see that Daryl is weak, and when Daryl sits up, Rick quickly wraps his arms around Daryl's back to keep him from falling. Rick is watching Daryl's face closely when Daryl looks up and locked eyes with him. Rick cannot keep the worry and sadness from showing in his eyes, and he is surprised Daryl sees it.

"Dale, can you help me get him to the RV bedroom?" Rick asks, not daring to take his eyes off of Daryl.

"Like hell. I'm going to my tent... once I can move on my own," Daryl snaps, which surprises Rick.

"Ok. We'll help you to your tent," Dale says, standing up. Rick can tell that Daryl doesn't like people helping him, but he can also see that Daryl is too weak to get there on his own. "I've got some broth I'll make for him," Dale asks. Rick cannot help but smile when Daryl's stomach growls. Rick sees Daryl's eyes drift shut, but he doesn't leave. Rick doesn't want to leave Daryl alone when he is so weak. Rick smiles when he sees Daryl open his eyes and look at him.

"Ya can go now. I can take care of myself," Rick barely hears Daryl whisper.

"I'm not going anywhere," Rick whispers back. Rick smiles when Daryl turns his head, but Rick saw the blush before Daryl turned. Rick just sits there and watches Daryl stare at the roof of the tent. Rick cannot help but smile when Daryl's stomach growls again, which makes Rick laugh and Daryl smile.

"Ya've got a nice laugh," Daryl says suddenly, which surprises Rick.

"You've got a nice smile," Rick says before he can stop himself. Rick can tell Daryl isn't used to being complimented, which Rick wants to change. "I'm sorry about your brother. I plan on going back for him."

"Lori ok with that?" Daryl asks. Rick hates hearing Lori's name come from Daryl's lips.

"She doesn't know yet, but even if she said no, I am still going," Rick says, trying to show Daryl kindness.

"Why?" Daryl asks. Rick knew he would ask, but Rick doesn't want to tell him the reason yet. Rick cannot stop the blush that appears on his face, and Rick blushes more when Daryl smiles at him.


	3. Chapter 3

_Daryl_

After slowly and painfully drinking a bowl of chicken broth, Daryl feels himself slowly drift off. Daryl is woken in the middle of the night by a coughing fit.

"Daryl?" Daryl startles when Rick asks and helps him sit up.

"Water...," Daryl gasps out between coughs.

"I've got some right here," Rick says. Daryl has his eyes closed, but he can feel Rick hold a bottle to his lips once he stops coughing. Daryl slowly drinks some water. "You ok?" Rick asks when Daryl winces. Daryl nods his head and regrets it because moving his neck hurts. Daryl flinches when Rick reaches out to check his neck. When Daryl flinches, Rick stops and sits back. "I'm sorry," Rick says quickly.

"I'm the one that's sorry," Daryl rasps out, reaching for the water. Daryl is surprised by the kindness Rick shows as he moves closer to Daryl and helps him get another drink. "Why are ya being so kind to me?" Daryl asks, looking at Rick as he lies back down.

"You'd never believe me. I don't truly believe in myself," Rick says, covering Daryl up when Daryl shivers. When Daryl doesn't say anything, Rick sighs and continues talking. "Since you walked into camp today, I've had this strong feeling of wanting to protect you. I don't understand any of this. I've never felt this way, not even with Lori." Daryl still doesn't answer, which makes Rick look at him. Daryl is just lying there hearing Rick talk when he feels tears silently fall. "Hey! What is wrong? I didn't mean to make you cry," Rick says, moving next to Daryl. Daryl cannot help but laugh about Rick freaking out.

"I'm not sad. I didn't mean to cry. I'm just so happy," Daryl says, grabbing Rick's hand.

"What?" Rick asks.

"I've never had anyone treat me the way ya do. It makes me happy," Daryl says.

"What about Merle or your mom and dad? Haven't they ever treated with lo... kindness?" Daryl surprised by what Rick almost said.

"No. I've never been treated well. I've always been treated as useless," Daryl says.

"You're not useless."

"How do ya know? Ya just met me a little bit ago."

"Yes, I have, but I've heard the group talk about what all you have done for them."

"It's the middle of the night. Go to sleep," T-Dog yells from the closest tent.

"He has a point. If we're going after Merle tomorrow, we need some sleep," Daryl says, rolling over onto his side, facing away from Rick. Daryl stiffens when he hears Rick move but relaxes as Rick pulls his cover up and covers him completely. "Your wife is probably waiting for ya."

"She can stay waiting. You may have another coughing fit, and I am not leaving you alone to go through that," Rick says. Daryl looks back to see Rick just sitting there. Daryl moves to one half of his sleeping bag.

"At least lie down and be comfortable," Daryl says.

"Are you sure?" Rick asks, surprised.

"I wouldn't offer if I wasn't sure." Daryl smiles as he feels Rick lay down next to him. Daryl turns and faces Rick, and they both drift off, facing each other.

_Rick_

Rick watches as Daryl slowly drinks a bowl of chicken broth and then slowly drifts off. Rick ends up drifting off after a while, but he jumps, wide awake, when he hears Daryl coughing.

"Daryl?" Rick asks, helping Daryl sit up.

"Water...," Daryl rasps out between coughs. Rick quickly grabs a bottle from beside Daryl's bed and sits beside Daryl.

"I've got some right here," Rick says, holding the bottle to Daryl's lips. Rick waits until Daryl stops coughing to help him take a drink slowly. Rick's heart misses a few beats when Daryl winces. "You ok?" Rick asks quickly. When Daryl nods, Rick is concerned about the amount of pain Daryl's neck is causing him, though the bruising is barely visible. Rick is worried when he reaches out to check Daryl's neck and Daryl flinches, which makes Rick stop and sit back. "I'm sorry," Rick says quickly, feeling extremely worried.

"I'm the one that's sorry," Daryl rasps out. Rick quickly moves towards Daryl and helps him get another drink when he sees Daryl reach for the water. "Why are you being so kind to me?" Daryl asks as he lies down.

"You'd never believe me. I don't truly believe it myself," Rick says as he covers Daryl when he sees Daryl shiver. Rick waits for Daryl to reply, but he doesn't. Rick sighs before continuing. "Since you walked into camp today, I've had this strong feeling of waiting to protect you. I don't understand any of this. I've never felt this way, not even with Lori." Rick looks at Daryl when he still doesn't say anything, and Rick is shocked to see Daryl crying. "Hey! What is wrong? I didn't mean to make you cry," Rick says, moving next to Daryl quickly. Rick starts freaking out, but he freezes when he hears Daryl laugh, which he loves the sound of.

"I'm not sad. I didn't mean to cry. I'm just so happy," Daryl says as he grabs Rick's hand, which makes Rick freeze.

"What?" Rick asks, feeling completely confused.

"I've never had anyone treat me the way ya do. It makes me happy," Daryl says.

"What about Merle or your mom and dad? Haven't they ever treated you with lo... kindness?" Rick asks, feeling uneasy about what he almost said.

"No. I've never been treated well. I've always been treated as useless," Daryl says.

"You're not useless," Rick says quickly.

"How do ya know? Ya just met me a little bit ago."

"Yes, I have, but I've heard the group talk about what all you have done for them."

"It's the middle of the night. Go to sleep," T-Dog yells from the closest tent.

"He has a point. If we're going after Merle tomorrow, we need some sleep," Daryl says. Rick's heart hurts when Daryl rolls over and faces away from him. Rick reaches out and covers Daryl up completely, not wanting Daryl to get sick. "Your wife is probably waiting for you." Rick doesn't like that Daryl keeps bringing up Lori.

"She can stay waiting. You may have another coughing fit, and I am not leaving you alone to go through that," Rick says, refusing to leave. Rick plans on just sitting there and smiles when Daryl looks at him. Rick frowns though when Daryl moves to the edge of his bed, farthest away from Rick.

"At least lie down and be comfortable," Daryl says, which surprises Rick

"Are you sure?" Rick asks, not knowing if Daryl was joking or not.

"I wouldn't offer if I wasn't sure," Daryl says. Rick slowly lies next to Daryl, not knowing which way to face until Daryl rolls over and faces him. Rick smiles as he and Daryl fall asleep facing each other.


	4. Chapter 4

_Daryl_

The first thing that comes to my mind when I woke up was that it was way too hot. I then realized that I wasn't the only one in my bed. My first instinct was to lash out, and I did. I shoved the figure lying next to me off of my makeshift bed and hard.

"Ow. That hurt," Rick's voice greets my ears, which causes me to remember what all happened.

"Oh, god. I'm sorry, Rick. Ya ok?" I ask, sitting up.

"It's ok. I'm ok. You just startled me is all. How is your throat?" Rick asks, sitting and looking at me. For some reason my heart flutters weirdly when I look into Rick's eyes.

"It's much better," I say, quickly looking away to hide a blush that appears suddenly on my cheeks. "If we're going after Merle, we should get ready."

"Yeah, we should. Let me talk to Lori and change clothes really quick," Rick says, brushing my bangs out of my face then leaving. At first, all I could do was sit there and stare at the tent flap Rick just walked out of. After a few minutes, I snapped out of it and got dressed before stepping outside in search of food. Shortly after I stepped out, Dale walks over with a plate of instant eggs.

"I know it is not the best, but it's all we've got," Dale says, handing me the plate.

"Whatever," I say, trying to stay separate from the group and not liking the sympathetic looks I kept getting.

"Once you're done eating we can head out," Rick says, walking over to where I am sitting. "T-Dog and Glenn are coming as well."

"Is that a good idea?" I ask, looking up at him.

"Why isn't it?" Rick asks, sitting down next to me.

"My brother is an extremely racist hick. That's why," I say, standing up and grabbing my crossbow and hand gun.

"Well, there is no way we are going with just the two of us. It is far too dangerous," Rick says as we head to the van we are taking. Glenn and T-Dog are done in the van. "I've got to talk to Shane. I'll be there in a second." The drive to Atlanta was long and horrible. All I wanted was to get my brother out of there and fast. We decided to get Merle before going for a bag of guns that Rick dropped when he got surrounded by Walkers. When T-Dog finally got the lock and chain off of the door to the roof, I pushed my way onto the roof and headed to where Rick said Merle is, but Merle wasn't there. I froze when I see the bloody handcuffs and Merle's hand right where Merle is supposed to be, but I wasn't frozen long before I screamed no several times.

_Rick_

I had been awake for a while, just watching Daryl sleep, when he began to wake up. I smiled but quickly frowned as I was suddenly shoved off of Daryl's makeshift bed.

"Ow. That hurt," I say as my head hits the cold, hard ground.

"Oh, god. I'm sorry, Rick. Ya ok?" Daryl asks, sitting up and sounding panicked.

"It's ok. I'm ok. You just startled me is all. How is your throat?" I ask, glad his voice sounds much better and stronger. I sit up slowly and look at him.

"It's much better," Daryl says, and I cannot help but smile when he looks away to hide a blush. "If we're going after Merle, we should get ready."

"Yeah, we should. Let me talk to Lori and change clothes really quick," I say, brushing his bangs from his face before I can stop myself. I then quickly leave before I embrace myself more. I quickly walk to Lori's tent, I cannot bring myself to call it mine, and change into clean clothes. Lori is standing there when I step out of the tent.

"Where were you last night? I waited up for you," Lori snaps.

"I was making sure Daryl was ok," I snap back. Our marriage has not been good for a very long time, and I hate when she tries to control everything I do. "I'm going back for Merle in a little bit."

"No, you are not. You cannot just leave us so soon after coming back," Lori says.

"I'm not asking you. I'm telling you. I'll be back tonight if all goes well," I snap then walk away. I frown when I find Daryl sitting by himself, but then I see why he is sitting by himself, everyone is giving him extreme looks of sympathy.

"Once you're done eating, we can head out," I say, walking over to where he is sitting. "T-Dog and Glenn are coming as well."

"Is that a good idea?" he asks, looking up through his bangs at me, hiding his bright blue eyes.

"Why isn't it?" I ask, sitting down next to him.

"My brother is an extremely racist hic. That's why," he says, standing up and grabbing his crossbow and hand gun.

"Well, there is no way we are going with just the two of us. It is far too dangerous," I say as we head to the van we are taking to Atlanta. Glenn and T-Dog are done in the van. "I've got to talk to Shane. I'll be there in a second." The drive to Atlanta was long, and I couldn't stop watching Daryl, frowning at the sadness in his eyes. I suddenly replay the discussion I had with Shane in my mind.

*Flashback*

"Hey, Shane. Do you happen to have any bullets for my handgun? I'm out," I say, walking over to Shane, who's at his jeep.

"I might have a few," Shane says, digging through his duffel bag. "Oh, wow. I don't think this is a good sign, Rick."

"What?" I asked, frowning when he opens his hand to reveal only four bullets.

"Four bullets for four guys," Shane says, which makes me glare at him. "Why are you going Rick?"

"I should never have left someone behind in that god forsaken town."

"What is the other reason?"

"There isn't one."

"You like him, don't you?"

"What? How?"

"I know you, Rick. You need to think about what this will do to Lori and Carl."

"I'm not going to do anything."

"Ok. I'm just making sure."

*End Flashback*

We all decided to get Merle before going before going to get a bag of guns I dropped when I got overrun with Walkers my first time in Atlanta. When T-Dog got the lock and chain off of the door to the roof, I watched Daryl run to where Merle had been left. I knew something was wrong by how quiet it was. Merle is just passed out, I told myself to prevent myself from panicking. When Daryl froze, looking at where Merle was, I knew something had to be wrong. I moved so that I could see Merle, but Merle wasn't there. All that was there was bloody handcuffs, bloody ax, and Merle's bloody hand. I began to worry as Daryl remained frozen on the spot, just starring. I jumped when he suddenly screamed no several times. I want to embrace him, but I can see that he would lash out.


	5. Chapter 5

_Daryl_

We followed Merle's blood path after I wrapped up his hand and stuck it in Glenn's backpack. We ended up finding two dead Walkers, but we didn't find a sign of Merle except at a gas stove where he burned his wound closed.

"Merle," I yelled out a shattered window, which Merle must have gone through.

"Daryl, you cannot yell like that. You will bring the Walkers down on us," Rick said, touching my arm, which made me flinch away.

"Don't touch me. This is all yer fault," I growled, trying to cover up my flinch, but I see the worry in Rick's eyes.

"Rick, it's going to get dark soon. We need to get the guns and go," Glenn said.

"What about Merle?" T-Dog asked.

"All we can do is hope he was able to make it out and is heading back," Rick said, watching me closely.

"We better get back before he does," I said, locking eyes with Rick. "How are we getting the guns?" We all figured out the plan but I would have preferred to be with Rick instead of Glenn but didn't want anyone to figure out my feelings for Rick.

"Rick should be the one to grab the guns, not you, Glenn," T-Dog said suddenly.

"I agree," Rick said, which surprised me. We ended up agreeing to Rick going after the guns instead of Glenn, and we all got into position. Rick took off down the road, and I wanted to go with when Walkers slowly started going after him. While I was waiting for Rick to come back, I heard a sound from behind. I turned to find a teenager, who instantly started yelling in Spanish. I tried to shut him up when two guys came up behind me and hit me on the head. One of them managed to hit me in the stomach, which made me drop to the ground. I curled into a ball to protect myself and heard someone ran into an alley.

"That's the bag," one of the guys yelled, and I knew Rick was back.

"Get away from him," Rick yelled, running towards the three guys around me, and T-Dog and Glenn appeared. The guys around me hit Rick in the stomach, grabbed the guns, and went to run to a car that just pulled up, but I grabbed the teenager and the guns, which caused the other two to grab a hold of Glenn and take him with them.

"Glenn," T-Dog yelled, grabbing the kid from me as I dropped to my knees after the teenager punched me in the stomach. The car pulled away, and Rick pulled the fence shut, blocking the Walkers. "We're cut off."

"Up the ladder and don't let him go," Rick said, tossing the gun bag to T-Dog and pulling me into standing, which caused me to wince. "You ok to move on your own?" I just nodded, and we headed to the ladder. T-Dog had already got him and the kid up the ladder when we got there. I was halfway up the ladder when my vision suddenly blurred, and I felt myself start to lose consciousness.

"Rick, grab him," T-Dog yelled, seeing me stop. Rick, who was right behind me, quickly climbed up, pinning me between him and the ladder.

"What's wrong?" he asked, wrapping his arms around my waist as I leaned against him.

"My head feels weird," I said before passing out.

_Rick_

I kept my eyes on Daryl as we followed the blood to find Merle after Daryl grabbed, wrapped, and stuck Merle's hand into Glenn's bag. We found two dead Walkers as we went, but the real clue that we were heading in the right direction was at a gas stove. There was clear evidence of Merle burning the end of his stump closed. I was looking at the stuff when Daryl yelled.

"Merle," he yelled out a shattered out window.

"Daryl you cannot yell like that. You will bring the Walkers down on us," I said, touching his arm and worrying when he flinched away from me.

"Don't touch me. This is all yer fault," he growled. I could see he was just trying to cover up his flinch, which just increased my worry.

"Rick, it's going to get dark soon. We need to get the guns and go," Glenn said.

"What about Merle?" T-Dog asked.

"All we can do is hope he was able to make it out and is heading back," I said, hating that I had to say it and keeping a close eye on Daryl.

"We better get back before he does," Daryl said, locking eyes with me. "How are we getting the guns?" We all figured out the plan, but I would have preferred to be with Daryl instead of T-Dog but didn't know how Daryl would feel about it.

"Rick should be the one to grab the guns, not you, Glenn," T-Dog said suddenly.

"I agree," I said quickly, glancing at Daryl and seeing the surprise in his eyes. We all agreed with me going after the guns instead of Glenn, and we all got into position. I took off out of the alley way and down the road. I kept a close eye on the Walkers following me slowly. As I was heading back from grabbing the guns, I heard screaming coming from the alley and picked up my pace, fearing that Daryl was hurt. I ran into the alley to see three guys surrounding Daryl, whose curled up on the ground, and hitting him.

"That's the bag," one of the guys said, turning and seeing me. I dropped the guns, caring more about helping Daryl than them.

"Get away from him," I yelled, running towards them to get to Daryl. T-Dog and Glenn came running from the other end of the alley but are too far away to help. The guys around Daryl hit me in the stomach, grabbed the guns, and went to run to a car that had just appeared, but Daryl grabbed the youngest one and the guns, which caused the guys to grab Glenn and take him.

"Glenn," T-Dog yelled, grabbing the boy from Daryl when the boy hit him in the stomach and caused him to drop to his knees. The car pulled away, and I pulled the fence shut to black the Walkers that gathered at the sound of the car and fighting. "We're blocked off."

"Up the ladder and don't let him go," I said, tossing the guns to T-Dog and pulling Daryl to his feet, which caused him to wince. "You ok to move on your own?" Daryl just nodded, and we headed to the ladder. T-Dog was already up the ladder when we got there. I made Daryl go up first and knew something was wrong when he stopped half way up the ladder.

"Rick, grab him," T-Dog yelled, which made my heart skip a beat. I quickly climbed up around him and pinned him between me and the ladder.

"What's wrong?" I asked, wrapping my arm around his waist as he leaned back against me.

"My head feels weird," he said before suddenly passing out against me.

"Daryl? Daryl!" I yelled, trying to wake him back up, and that is when I see the blood on the back of his head.

"Is he ok?" T-Dog yelled down.

"He passed out and there is blood on the back of his head. They must have hit him on the head with that bat they had. How am I supposed to get him up the rest?"

"I think I can reach him from here, but I need to chain this kid up first."

"Just hurry please." I kept a firm grip on Daryl as I waited. T-Dog than reached down to pull Daryl up. He grabbed him by his hands that were hanging over the rungs he had a hold of earlier. I climbed up the ladder as T-Dog pulled him up, not wanting to risk Daryl falling. After we got him up, T-Dog went into the building to make sure there was no Walkers before grabbing the kid as I carried in Daryl.


	6. Chapter 6

_Daryl_

I woke up to notice I was somehow inside. I shifted slightly to see if I was injured in any way, and I had to blink to clear my vision as Rick suddenly appeared above me. It took me a minute to remember what had happened, but when I did, I shot into a sitting position, which was a mistake because it caused my head to spin.

"Whoa. Easy Daryl. I think you have a concussion. Did they hit you in the head with a baseball bat?" Rick said, making me lay back down.

"They hit me in the head, but I don't know what. What happened? How did I get up the ladder and inside?" I said, reaching to touch the back of my head but being stopped by Rick.

"Your head was bleeding. T-Dog was able to find a first aid kit and stopped the bleeding," Rick said.

"Oh, ok, but how did I get here?" I asked, taking a drink of water Rick hands to me.

"You were high enough up that T-Dog was able to grab you and pull you up," Rick said as I look around and see T-Dog asleep a little bit away.

"How long have I been out?" I asked, fighting a yawn.

"Four hours. Get some more sleep," Rick said, yawning. I looked closely at Rick and seen dark circles under his eyes.

"You need sleep more than me," I said.

"You both need sleep. I'll keep watch," T-Dog said, sitting up.

"Thank you, T-Dog," Rick said, going to move a little bit away from me to sleep, but I grabbed his hand and pulled him down next to me. I heard T-Dog snicker and flipped him off before curling into Rick's side and falling asleep.

_Rick_

After I carried Daryl into the building, I carefully laid him down and tilted his head to the side so I could look at the back of his head. I was about to rip a piece of my shirt off to use to stop the bleeding when T-Dog walked over with a first aid kit he must have found.

"How bad is it?" he asked, taking a look for himself. He then opened the kit, pulled out some gauze, and placed it against the back of Daryl's head, putting pressure on it, which caused Daryl to whimper even unconscious.

"You're hurting him," I said, trying to stop T-Dog.

"I have to stop the bleeding Rick or we could lose him," T-Dog said. "I know you have feelings for him, and I know you don't want to see him in any pain, but I have to do it."

"How did you know?" I asked, panic rising at someone figuring out.

"My tent is next door to Daryl's. I heard you two talking. You have no reason to worry. I don't care if you guys like each other, just make sure your boy doesn't get hurt in the process," T-Dog said before removing the gauze and moving away to lay down. "I'm going to get some sleep." I nodded and sat there watching Daryl. When Daryl shifted four hours later, I quickly moved into his line of vision and watched as he blinked up at me confused. Daryl almost hit me when he suddenly shot into a sitting position.

"Whoa. Easy Daryl. I think you have a concussion. Did they hit you in the head with a baseball bat?" I said, pushing Daryl back into laying.

"They hit me in the head, but I don't know what. What happened? How did I get up the ladder and inside?" Daryl asked, reaching to touch his wound, which I quickly stopped him from doing, not wanting him to hurt himself.

"Your head was bleeding. T-Dog was able to find a first aid kit and stopped the bleeding," I explained, trying to ignore his question because I didn't want to tell him that I had pressed my body to the way I had.

"Oh, ok, but how did I get here?" he asked, taking the water I handed to him.

"You were high enough up that T-Dog was able to grab you and pull you up," I said, leaving out the part I did and watching him glance at T-Dog.

"How long have I been out?" he asked. I noticed him fighting a yawn and felt one of my own coming on.

"Four hours. Get some more sleep," I said, yawning and noticing the way he soundly looked closely at me, and I knew he would tell me to sleep instead.

"You need sleep more than me," he said.

"You both need sleep. I'll keep watch," T-Dog said, sitting up.

"Thank you, T-Dog," I said, going to move a little bit away from Daryl to sleep, but I was suddenly grabbed and pulled down next to Daryl. I heard T-Dog snicker and watched Daryl flip him off before he suddenly curled into my side and fell asleep. I laid there and watched him for a little bit before I too was pulled into slumber.


End file.
